The McKenzies farewell show

Saturday night was a bittersweet night for H-Pop as The McKenzies performed its last show for a packed crowd at Mangos. There to see them off were Fat Tony (whose performance I sadly missed); the unstoppable Ton Tons, which packed in enough people to make me claustrophobic; and Tax The Wolf, the admirably ambitious and catchy “band to watch” that put the crowd in a frenzy.

But this was The McKenzies’ night and when Miguel announced the band’s last song you never heard such loud boos from such a loving crowd. It was all a testament to a little band that played sweet indie-pop to a loyal fan base, saw its first CD released earlier this year (via Indie Houston), and had gathered a lot of acclaim from local press along the way. How could people not be a little sad to see it all end?

Contrary to the standard rock clichés, this was an end with no drama. When I asked Jodie for a reason before the show she just smiled and without an ounce of regret or sadness said “It was just time.” This wasn’t a funeral; it was a party and that is probably just as well and so How far could the McKenzies have gone? will simply remain a meaningless little game to ask ourselves over a pint.

I don’t know how The McKenzies will look back on its short career but I can’t help but think that The McKenzies was the soundtrack to someone’s break up or glorious summer. Is that too miniscule an achievement? Bands don’t end wars, poverty, or anything like that. What bands like The Mckenzies do is much like a Buddhist Mandala painting – they exist for a short time, make everyone’s life a little brighter, and then they simply blow away. That is quite all right in my book.